Meet The Jacobs (The Couple That Befriended Marina Oswald)

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Meet The Jacobs (The Couple That Befriended Marina Oswald)

The Unites States Information Agency (USIA) is a former intelligence group organized to conduct “foreign opinion research, media reaction reporting, and special evaluations and analysis” during the Cold War.i This group first emerged as part of the Coordinator of Information’s (COI) office led by General William Donovan amid WWII. Similar to the Central Intelligence Agency it was reconstituted from minor groups once within that COI’s office but USIA was not created until nineteen fifty-three. They administrated some foreign cultural and educational programs run by the Department of State, used press outlets such as the Voice of America, and gathered worldwide intelligence. Among the projects USIA supported was the American National Exhibition in Russia held in the course of nineteen fifty-nine. The display was presented to demonstrate several aspects of American life to the Russian public and focused on western cultural and technological innovations. Millions of people over the course of months reportedly filled a park in Moscow to observe the gathered displays. Following the exhibition’s successful conclusion one of the USIA’s press officer’s and his family were still present in Russia’s capital until the end of October. That employee’s name was John Jacobs…

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The Proven QJWIN on Midnight Writer News w/ C.A.A. Savastano

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Author Carmine Savastano returns to the MWN podcast with S.T. Patrick to discuss CIA foreign agents QJWIN (Jose Mankel), WIROGUE-1 (David Tzitzichvili), and the evolution of American political assassination programs.

The Past American Century continues its Allen Dulles review

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Historian Mike Swanson and author Carmine Savastano return to complete their prior study of former Director of Central Intelligence Allen Dulles in another look at the whether he was the legendary spymaster or merely presenting the crafted image of one.

Intelligence Media Matters

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Intelligence Media Matters

Discoveries in the latest and prior releases of the official files are repeatedly evolving our understanding of related historical matters. Yet one thing remains ever the same, the ability of some news media to spotlight aspects of a matter that often distract from the greater questions and instead cast aside the substantial for the salacious. In some cases people directly act as knowing advocates for official agendas and more often a government can utilize a person for their purposes without the subject knowing it occurred. Insightful members of the public should not just question a media personality's ideas, but also the original source of the information they promote…

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Cold War Business

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Cold War Business

Few periods of history enjoyed the economic growth and prosperity generated by the fear and mistrust of the Cold War. The aftermath of the Second World War left political alliances frayed and the ambitious governments of Russia and the United States taking diametrically opposite social positions. Previous World War II funding and materials supplied by the United States to Russia was redistributed to set up democratic bulwarks in Western Europe. Stalin and the Communist Soviet regime annexed roughly half of Europe while a deep freeze settled over world policy and these two superpowers drew lines across the world…

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The Ochelli Effect presents Project CAUTERY

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The Ochelli Effect returns with your host Chuck Ochelli and C.A.A. Savastano to discuss a cryptonym (code name) related to the JFK case and one notable 1950s CIA Project seeking to recruit defectors from Soviet controlled East Germany. This episode has been removed or archived and is no longer available. Here are links to our CIA Projects, Cryptonyms, and an article that includes Project Cautery and some of its members.

A Fellow Traveler

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A Fellow Traveler

A "traveler" holds special meaning to people associated with intelligence and national security. This does not simply indicate a person on a journey but someone who holds unseen loyalties to group without being an official member. The Central Intelligence Agency used the term referring to Communist sympathizers during the Cold War...

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The Imprisoned Defector

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The Imprisoned Defector

Hearty alpine thistles were in bloom in the rural lanes outside Geneva, Switzerland in the summer of 1962. Just beyond this scenic atmosphere "KGB officer Yuriy Ivanovich Nosenko contacted the CIA...Over the course of five meetings he provided sufficient information to enable the two officers from CIA's Soviet Russia Division...to establish that he was a bona fide source. The major information furnished by him at that time was the identification of a US code technician who had been recruited by the KGB, and the identification of the location of KGB microphones in the US Embassy in Moscow, 52 of which were later found." Nosenko's eventual defection and the drastic shift in his treatment would lead to years of solitary imprisonment...

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Cuban Relations

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Cuban Relations

In the Central Intelligence Agency files regarding Cuba under the Batista regime, Fidel Castro "manages to get himself involved in many things that do not concern him." "Beginning in 1948, the activities of Fidel Castro came to be of increasing concern to the Central Intelligence Agency and the United States Government (USG)." Despite the allegations of some officials, no direct link to Communism was established in Castro's history until after hostilities with the United States. "In fact, Agency support for the peaceful transfer of power from Batista to a democratically elected successor and amnesty for Castro and his followers...was proposed in a memorandum from the Inspector General in November 1957...

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Travelers, Informants, and Defectors

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Travelers, Informants, and Defectors

Feasibly both the United States and Russian governments utilized several travelers and defectors. These people were tourists or aspiring expatriates who seemingly wished to embrace foreign life. These defectors in some cases provided useful intelligence data on topics of official interest. Over twenty United States military personnel defected from 1960 to 1962.i The Central Intelligence Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigation debriefed some upon their return. Other prior defectors continued to be sources of official information...

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The Rumor heard around the World

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The Rumor heard around the World

An official touchstone of the Kennedy case has been the repeated allegation that Lee Harvey Oswald fired his Carcano at General Walker and missed. Some contend this demonstrates Oswald's propensity for the subsequent assassination of President Kennedy, and striking at the enemies of Communism. Yet Lee Harvey Oswald was not a Communist.i "Investigation by the Commission has produced no plausible evidence..." that Oswald was connected to the Communist Party, Socialist Workers Party, or any other leftist organization...

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Another photographic claim that Fails to prove its assertions

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Another photographic claim that Fails to prove its assertions

As the curator of the Sixth Floor Museum, Gary Mack holds a role in overseeing exhibits offered for the public. However, Mack's feasible desire to use a photograph to assert improbable associations render his opinions untenable. Mack attributes in my view more importance to this photograph than reasonable. Some who advocate conspiracy have their favorite self-determined important picture. Each hypothesis is championed by unverified claims... 

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Speculations that fail to consider Primary Evidence remain in Doubt

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Speculations that fail to consider Primary Evidence remain in Doubt

A rebuttal of "Face it: Oswald did it" by the Economist Magazine

The Economist is long respected and noteworthy publication about financial matters. I have read their articles and many are of high quality and supported by evidence and expert assessment. Yet this article in my view diverges from their usual standards. Seemingly, financial acumen does not translate to reasonable inquiry. Based upon substantial evidence their judgement is precipitous...

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